In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes through a series of topics that He introduces with the statement, “You have heard that it was said…” Jesus then corrects misunderstood concepts and teaches new, authoritative truths. The first of these topics is found in Matthew 5:21-22. Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Everyone agrees it’s wrong to murder. But Jesus teaches that abstaining from such violence isn’t enough. Jesus commands us to transform our attitudes, words, and behavior toward others. It’s not enough to refrain from murder. We must root out the foundational anger and hatred that would ever lead to such a terrible action.